CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 25

DORIAN

I saw him before I meant to.

Ezra.

Walking out of the church with that boy.

Hand in hand.

My jaw locked so tight I could feel the muscle twitch. The air inside me turned heavy. I told myself to look away, to mind my own business. But I didn’t.

Ezra’s smile—small, nervous, the kind he gave when he didn’t know what else to do—hit me right in the gut. And the boy next to him, Eros, was too close. Too familiar.

I gritted my teeth so hard it hurt.

“Don’t break your jaw, Dorian.”

The voice came from behind me. I turned fast.

Doris.

My sister stood there in a sleek blazer, rolling a carry-on suitcase at her side, looking far too calm for someone who just ambushed me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, harsher than I meant.

“Nice to see you too.” She raised an eyebrow. “I was in town for a conference. Thought I’d stop by on my way to the airport. Apparently, you’re still allergic to greetings.”

I exhaled through my nose. “I’m busy.”

“You’re standing in front of a church glowering at a nineteen—”

“Twenty-two.”

She tilted her head. “Excuse me?”

“He’s twenty-two,” I muttered.

Her eyes narrowed. “And why do you know that?”

I grunted, unwilling to answer. “How long are you staying?”

“Just passing through.” She dropped her suitcase handle and folded her arms. “You look terrible, by the way. Always brooding, always grinding your teeth. You’re going to end up with migraines.”

“Not your problem,” I said flatly.

She gave me a sharp smile. “Everything’s my problem. You’re my brother.”

We stood there, silent for a beat. She searched my face, and I hated how easily she could still read me.

Finally, she asked, softer this time, “Are you okay, Dorian?”

I looked away. “I’m fine.”

“That’s the worst lie you’ve ever told.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t need her peeling back layers I’d worked too hard to seal shut.

Doris sighed. “Well, I’ll let you keep your secrets. Just… don’t drown in them, alright?”

I gave a curt nod.

She glanced at her watch. “My driver’s waiting. I should go. Try not to bite anyone before lunch.”

“Goodbye, Doris.”

She smirked, pulled her suitcase along, and disappeared into the street.

The second she was gone, I looked back toward the church.

And there he was.

Ezra again.

But this time laughing. Actually laughing, head tipped back, curls bouncing as he talked with Eros.

Eros leaned closer, grinning like he’d been given a private joke. Their shoulders nearly touched. Ezra’s hand lifted as he spoke, animated, his smile brighter than I’d ever seen it with me.

Heat tore through my chest.

I wanted to lose my shit.

I wanted to drag Ezra away, snap at the boy, tell him to keep his hands off what wasn’t his.

My nails dug into my palm until it hurt.

What the hell was I doing? I was a priest. A man of vows. A man who was supposed to keep order, not fall apart at the sight of a smile that wasn’t mine.

But my jaw clenched again as Ezra’s laugh rang out across the courtyard, like he’d forgotten the world. Forgotten me.

Eros leaned closer. Ezra didn’t move away.

And I knew then—if I didn’t leave now, I’d do something I couldn’t confess away.

I turned on my heel and stormed back into the church, ignoring the voices behind me, ignoring the prayers still echoing faintly off the walls.

I sat in the first pew, gripping the edge until my knuckles whitened.

“Forgive me,” I muttered under my breath. “Forgive me, because I don’t know how much longer I can fight this.”

But when I closed my eyes, it wasn’t forgiveness I saw.

It was Ezra’s smile.

And the sound of his laugh still burned in my ears.